The Road
11.29.2009 | By Jack Rico |
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11.24.2009 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: PG-13 for sequences of violence, disturbing images and thematic material.
Release Date: 2009-05-15
Starring: Akiva Goldsman
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.sonypictures.com.mx/Sony/HotSites/Mx/angelesydemonios/
The Da Vinci Code was such good, clever cinematic entertainment, that expectations for ‘Angels & Demons’ to either match or exceed its success were crucial. Regrettably, neither came true. The contrivances and absurd coincidences of the clues are so predictable and telegraphed that it zapped all the fun out of the film. This new effort by Ron Howard and Tom Hanks falls short of their talents and abilities. Hanks not only phoned in his performance, it looked like he created a cartoon version of his character Robert Langdon.
‘Angels & Demons,’ published in 2000 by author Dan Brown, sees Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a cryptic symbol seared in the chest of a murdered physicist. What he discovers is a deadly vendetta against the Catholic Church by a centuries-old underground organization called the Illuminati to turn half of Rome into a wasteland.
Here’s the good and the bad with ‘Angels & Demons’: Entertainment vs. Implausibility.
Let me explain…the bad is that this film is ‘The Da Vinci Code’ on steroids, it’s so over-the-top. The clues are never ending and they are too easy to create any suspense. Also the acting was, for some reason or other, below par. Perhaps the cast’s uninspired efforts were a byproduct of shooting in a studio lot as opposed to Vatican City, which did not give any clearance to film on its premises. No wonder you saw so much CGI this time around. Finally, the ending takes a turn to the absurd, fully confirming that corporate studio heads prevailed by creating a film for the ‘everyday joe’ and not the literary fans of the book.
The good can be described in the beautiful and elegant camerawork of cinematographer Salvatore Totino, and a captivating story that tells of the mysteries inside the holy Vatican City. There are many scenes that are very entertaining to watch and delight in.
Still, the bad outweighs the good and the preposterous plot outweighs everything. If you’re a fan of the book you’ll be entertained but disappointed, and if you’re not, the same thing.
11.24.2009 | By Karen Posada |
This is definitely a chick flick for smart viewers; the drama which drags most chick flicks is taken lightly and sprinkled with unsuspected moments of hilarity. I didn’t know exactly what to expect of it but I came out glad to have gone through Pippa’s journeys along with her.
The film by director Rebecca Miller explores the life of Pippa Lee (Robin Wright Penn) a suburban housewife who seems to have it all together and be leading the perfect life. Her husband (Alan Arkin) an accomplished publisher who is 30 years older than her decides to move them out of NYC to a retirement community in Connecticut. Pippa as the perfect wife follows willingly, although we get a sense there’s something stirring within her that’s about to explode. She begins the narration of the life she has led up to the point where she met her current husband. We start seeing Pippa’s troubled past and wonder how she is so together in her present, but a series of weird occurrences take place which make everything fall in place. As her retired husband decides he can’t live in complete retirement she fills her time with activities and meets a younger man (Keanu Reeves), they begin to help each other through their paths of self-discovery.
Blake Lively from ‘Gossip Girl’ plays the younger version of Pippa Lee, her character’s fun, sensual personality combined with her innocence makes us want to help her out of the hole she digs herself into. Younger Pippa loves her mother (Maria Bello) but as she grows up she realizes her household is not what she thought it was, her mother’s addiction to drugs and her father’s (a priest) indifference takes her life for a spin.
These great actors are part of a puzzle that forms a beautifully imperfect picture. All the funny moments make the dramatic plot easy to watch without feeling overwhelmed or sad. Seeing how Pippa’s life turns out despite the complicated “lives” she’s led is delightful, seeing her come in to her own and finally realizing that there was no need to make a perfect persona but that accepting herself and the fact that life is full of surprises was the answer, gives us an uplifting conclusion.
11.24.2009 | By Alex Florez |
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and our editor-in-chief Jack Rico went to NBC‘s 30 Rockefeller Center in the heart of New York City, to chat with host David Ushery from The Debrief with David Ushery, about what family films to watch over the long awaited holiday weekend.
Among the films Jack suggested were:
On DVD
The Debrief with David Ushery can be seen on Non Stop New York, NBC’s new digital channel.
11.23.2009 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: R for language and crude sexual humor throughout, and some sexuality.
Release Date: 2009-07-31
Starring: Judd Apatow
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.funnypeoplemovie.com/
‘Funny People’ does not live up to the Apatow hype. It never even gets close to what his two previous fantastic films achieved in the genre of comedy. Much of its demise is attributed to its story which is told in a choppy and uneven manner. There’s some good material here, but the movie rambles more than the human attention span can tolerate.
The premise is succint. It’s about a famous comedian (Adam Sandler) who has a near-death experience and then goes through a self exploration phase which will make him see the world in a whole different light. Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Jonah Hill and newcomer Aubrey Plaza, of Puerto Rican decent, also star.
I have to admit, by looking at the trailer, I thought ‘Funny People’ was going to be a critically acclaimed film worthy of an Oscar, if it was executed correctly. Regrettably, it never quenched my personal expectations. Is it all bad? Absolutely not. There are some very funny moments, but they are dispersed all over the story like broken glass. It’s refreshing to see Apatow branching out and trying something off the beaten path but, in this case, his sense of ambition may have caused him to lose his way. It’s a brave move that is partially undone by pacing problems and a lack of focus. ‘Funny People’ clocks in at nearly 2 1/2 hours, and that’s too long for any comedy.
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Most of you might not know of Puerto Rican comedian Aubrey Plaza, but you will after this movie. In her short and underdeveloped role, Aubrey’s shy, witty demeanor made her on-screen presence a memorable one.
If you’re a fan of Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow’s sexually charged joke marathons, there is some of it here for you to enjoy, but overall, the film is no doubt a drama that might turn off hardcore loyalists.
11.23.2009 | By Mike Pierce |
Rated: PG-13 for some sexual humor and language.
Release Date: 2008-11-26
Starring: Matt Allen, Caleb Wilson
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Country:USA
Official Website: http://www.fourchristmasesmovie.com/
It’s still the #1 movie at the box office. What movie am I talking about you may ask?? Four Christmases, starring Vince Vaughn and “Sexy Cute” Reese Witherspoon. It has a great cast such as Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, John Voight, Tim McGraw, Jon Favreau, and more!
The movie starts off with a couple who are totally in love, but soon find out that they REALLY don’t KNOW each other. The Christmas holidays roll around…instead of hanging with their family, they decide to lie…once again…to plan a trip to Fiji…but the weather messes everything up so they are forced to visit their 4 seperate families…and these families are nuts.
If you happen to “family hop” during the holidays – you’ll definately can relate. (lol)
You sure laugh a lot and during these hard times – we all could use it.
11.21.2009 | By Terry Kim |
For those who recognize the name in the title of Richard Linklater’s latest film may have an immediate attraction (or immediate aversion) to it. After all, Orson Welles always lands itself in critics’ “top filmmakers of all time,” and his Citizen Kane (1941) makes it in “top ten most influential films” lists. Older generations may remember Welles from his radio days, and still others may remember him from his famous television commercials of the 70s. I’m willing to bet that members of the younger generation will watch this film in recognition of the High School Musical series heartthrob, Zac Efron (who plays the part of starry-eyed teenager Richard), the “me” in the title.
Me and Orson Welles is about seventeen year-old Richard, who is employed by Orson Welles to play a minor role in his first show at the Mercury Theatre, Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Richard and Welles get along for the most part—Welles even takes Richard to a radio studio, gives him a lift on his ambulance (the only way to wade through traffic in Manhattan), and affectionately calls him “junior”—until Richard falls for Sonja Jones, an assistant who is beautiful yet unapologetically ambitious. Sonja merely wishes to get ahead in life, and is unconcerned with love, art—basically all the ideals Richard identifies himself with. After a week of success and failure, love and heartbreak, Richard is ready to return to a less exhilarating, yet more wholesome, high school life.
Linklater—who made his name with the high school movie, Dazed and Confused (1993), and for the Before Sunrise/Before Sunset pair (1995 and 2004, respectively)—takes a somewhat different approach in Me and Orson Welles. The film is essentially a bildungsroman in 1937 New York, and therefore a period piece as well. The background is rather convincing: Linklater, along with production designer Laurence Dorman, handpicked the theater to pose as the then-Mercury Theatre, and he also selected the music, since he is a huge fan of 30s music. The film is indebted to the pre-existing material in Robert Kaplow’s novel, which he based in real theatrical history. Especially convincing is Christian McKay’s impersonation of Orson Welles, which is spine-chillingly identical.
The film can be most respected for its frankness, because it doesn’t dare to over-glamorize Welles, the Mercury Theatre, or the city, but only to see the aforementioned things through a naïve teenage boy’s eyes; think of it as a week-long orientation to the Big Apple. Linklater’s style is also equally simple: instead of relying on fancy computer editing, for example, he uses what I’d like to call “manual” montage (Richard catching bits of conversations as he walks through the opening night party scene; Richard flipping through newspaper headlines on Caesar). Welles is portrayed as the charismatic man he was known as, but we also glimpse moments of sensitivity, and it isn’t easy to simplify him as a heroic character or a villainous one. Perhaps a weaker delineation is that of Gretta (played by Zoe Kazan), and particularly her parallels to Richard. As they exit the museum, the two find themselves in differing paths of progress. This is, of course, the way things are: a writer is suddenly jet-set with her submission to The New Yorker (Gretta), and an aspiring actor performs only on the opening night of an anticipated production (Richard). Their sudden bonding at the end seems a bit contrived, however.
This film is a must-see for New Yorkers, would-be New Yorkers, good music, and anybody who wants to see the most accurate impression of Orson Welles to date.
11.20.2009 | By Jack Rico |
Rated: R for graphic nudity and some language.
Release Date: 2009-05-01
Starring: Jim Jarmusch
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Country:Spain
Official Website: http://www.thelimitsofcontrol.com/
The quirky Ohio film director, Jim Jarmusch, known for his abstract, philosophical and excessively drawn out scenes, uses Spain as a beautiful backdrop in his new crime thriller ‘The Limits of Control’. The movie could be summed up as a deliberate banal and phlegmatic effort. There is barely any dialogue to push the story and the ending offers very little interest or excitement.
The minimal storyline concerns an unnamed assassin (Issach De Bankolé) who spends most of the film moving from location to location throughout Spain, collecting the information and equipment he requires to complete his latest assignment, the assassination of an American corporate bigwig (Bill Murray). He meets most of his contacts in cafes, although one woman (Paz de la Huerta) spends a few days nude with him in various hotel rooms. The film is based on a William S. Burroughs essay, a Rimbaud poem and vintage crime films, particularly John Boorman’s 1967 classic “Point Blank.”
It’s obvious after the first half of the film that Jarmusch intends to create a parable between the clashing of bohemianism and capitalism meant to be viewed as how corporate america has suppressed the highly intellectual culturati. The scant dialogue supports this theme by touching upon subjects as art, music, literature, cinema, science, sex, and hallucinations. Regrettably, the words are vapid and random as is the essence of the film. The resulting riddle won’t do anything to broaden the filmmaker’s loyal fan base as his many followers will be left feeling as alienated as his central character.
Noteworthy is Jarmusch’s new exploration of the Spanish and Hispanic culture. The first words uttered in the film are “Usted no habla español, verdad?†(You don’t speak Spanish, correct?) which is a phrase that is consistently used by the several diverse and bizarre characters as an introductory code when they all initially meet our protagonist. There are also some droll scenes that are mostly spoken in Spanish, as well as a long Flamenco sequence where a Spanish song is highlighted. The Hispanic theme also permeates into the casting choices with the hiring of acclaimed Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal and Spanish American actress Paz de la Huerta. Bernal’s performance is not a stretch of his acting abilities, but his showing is merely a decision to work with one of his favorite directors.
‘The Limits of Control’ is tedious, excessively sober and vastly abstract for the common moviegoer. An offense that needs to stopped and that perhaps never will.
11.20.2009 | By Namreta Kumar |
It seems like it took a long while coming, but New Moon just does not thrill audiences the same way Twilight, the movie or the books have. Overall the film covers the basics of the novel but fails to deliver as compelling a story.
As with any rewrite, stories have to be manipulated to adapt however for a novel about the development and growth of two prominent characters and relationships this film never fully develops. Everything about the film, from the music to most of the liberties, seems so disconnected and distant that it always feels like you are watching clips of the book.
Despite the problematic nature of the adaptation Chris Weitz’s constant desire to keep the original style of the film was very rewarding. With the exception of the almost obvious edits to existing sets, the overall style of the film and direction are what keeps this film close to the original novel. The novels established characters all seem very believable; however the triangle that is supposed to be formed at the end of the film, almost seems established from the start.
As a movie audience it is hard to see how much Bella has grown attached to Jacob without inserting dialogue. However, for a two-hour movie, this movie comes up short of making any progress and so the dialogue falls flat. In fact when it finally seems to be getting somewhere the conclusion of the film picks up its pace too rapidly and then it almost seems like a second films is starting.
Unfortunately this film just never gets passed the dramatics of a smaller role for Edward and fails to deliver the conflict that is supposed to drive this film and fuel the next.
11.19.2009 | By Jack Rico |
One of Spain’s most talented sons gives cinema a new work titled ‘Broken Embraces’. Pedro Almodóvar reunites with Penélope Cruz to once again give us a visually sensual and beautiful, bold and impressive theater of the mind, but one that regrettably doesn’t break new ground. It is not his best film and thus the reason it wasn’t selected to participate in Spain’s Oscar selections for this upcoming ceremony. It is by no intention a bad film, it simply isn’t overwhelming. Were we asking for too much? Was that the problem?
The premise is interesting and very Almodovar. Harry Caine (Lluís Homar), a screenwriter/director, suffers a near fatal crash that leaves him blind. After healing from his wounds 14 years later, he finds himself directing and editing his last movie which starred his eternal love.
There is beauty in his work, but I believe there was also writers block, which is why he recycled so much of his favorite films such as Elevator to the Gallows, Voyage to Italy and his own Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Pedro took the opportunity to become Tarantino in this film and craft a class in filmmaking to us all. His new work combines amour fou, crime-noir melodrama, satirical comedy, complex structures and subplots and anything else his head could devise. He’s good but his ambition got the best of him and the construction of the story ultimately did not rise to the levels of his previous works. It looks as if his focus left the narrative and shifted to the technical aspects and look of the film. Almodovar is accountable for his own success and it burns him here.
Nonetheless, the minor imperfections do not damage his reputation as a dexterous helmer nor should it influence your decision to see the movie. Penelope Cruz gives another mesmerizing performance as the “femme fatale” but one that doesn’t rival her character in passion and charm from ‘Volver’. The rest of the cast shows why Spain is a gold mine full of talented actors.
In a broad comment, this year was specifically a great year for Spanish movies. The box office has reaped the benefits of their marvelous stories and productions and we’re all the better for it. Almodovar is being challenged by other filmmakers such as Isabel Coixet, Fernando Trueba, Daniel Sánchez Arévalo and Alejandro Aménabar (half Chilean). I hope to see their work rival his because Hollywood awaits them desperately.
